This invention relates generally to improvements in building construction and more particularly to framing anchors which are used to attach wood studs or vertical framing members, generally referred to as underpinning, to a concrete foundation. Typically, framing anchors of this type are used to attach the base or lower end of such studs to a wooden sill which is secured to the upper surface of a concrete foundation or footing, and are to constructed as to allow the studs or underpinning to be supported in a vertical position, while the concrete foundation and the sill may be at various angles to the vertical other than perpendicular thereto, the foundation or footing defining a sloping top surface corresponding generally to the slope of the ground at which the footing is disposed.
The construction and use of such a framing anchor is disclosed in U.S. No. 3,727,358, issued to Venice T. Howell, Apr. 17, 1973. Howell discloses a framing anchor for securing underpinning to sloped foundation sills which eliminates stepping the top of the foundation otherwise necessary to mount the underpinning in the vertical position. The framing anchor includes a generally horizontal upper plate having the lower end of the vertical underpinning resting thereon and a lower inclined plate resting on the top of the sill. The upper and lower plates are joined together at one side thereof by a flexible interconnecting section so that the underpinning may be positioned and held vertically, even though the top surface of the foundation may be varied in its angle of slope. Both the lower inclined plate and the upper horizontal plate are secured to the sill and the vertical underpinning respectively by nails extending through respective upwardly extending and downwardly extending flanges and into the wooden members. The underpinning is held in vertical alignment by a flange secured to the inclined plate and extending upwardly therefrom and along one side of the stud. As hereinbefore described, holes are provided in the flange for receiving nails which are driven therethrough and into the wooden underpinning.
Because wood has a tendency to split and weaken as nails are driven into it, especially near the end of a wooden section, it is undesirable to weaken the underpinning by using an excessive number of nails to secure the lower end thereof to the framing anchor. Moreover, by reducing the number of nails used in the structure, not only will a materials cost reduction be achieved, but also a labor cost reduction will be realized reflecting a reduction in the time required to mount each underpinning to the foundation. However, it is also necessary to use a quantity of nails sufficient to adequately support the vertical underpinning on the sill and the load of the building supported thereby.
The foregoing illustrates limitations of the known prior art. Thus, it is apparent that it would be advantageous to provide an alternative to the prior art.